Ballistic performance of eco-friendly jute–epoxy–natural rubber hybrid composites

The increasing demand for sustainable structural materials encourages the exploration of eco-friendly alternatives for impact and protective applications. In this study, the ballistic impact response of jute-epoxy natural rubber based composite sheets is experimentally and numerically investigated to assess their potential as sustainable energy-absorbing structural components. The composite sheets are normally impact by ogival and blunt projectiles over a velocity range of 34–75 m/s, enabling assessment of deformation behaviour, penetration mechanisms, energy dissipation and failure mechanisms. The test specimens (150 × 150 mm²) with thicknesses of 8 and 10 mm were prepared in various stacking arrangements, while a projectile of constant mass (17 gm) and diameter (10 mm) was used for all impact cases. A 3D explicit finite element model of the target sheet and projectile is developed using ANSYS/LS-DYNA. The perforation behavior of the sheets is analyzed using two different material models. For the jute and rubber materials, the Chang-Chang and Mooney-Rivlin damage models were applied, respectively. Numerical predictions from computational simulations showed good agreement with experimental results. To study failure modes in the target sheets, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used. Overall, the results indicate that jute-epoxy-natural-rubber based composites are a suitable choice for low impact applications and provide a basis for future development of hybrid and multilayer protective systems incorporating renewable materials.